#openwater (2003)
This movie tells a truly terrifying story. Based on the true story of Tom and Eileen Longeran, who got stranded in the open ocean after the dive crew they went with, did a fault headcount and they were left behind. This is a very different film, it somehow feels more real with the way it is filmed. It reminds me a lot of the style ‘The Blair Witch Project’ took up, the documentary style filmmaking. Only unlike Blair Witch, this one is quite hard to watch.
It starts off like any other adventure film would, but once the couple is left behind, the panic and isolation sets in, as we’re left to watch them succumb to seasickness and eventually death. This movie really isn’t about the sharks, but there’s sharks in it, so I counted it. This film is really about the couple as they slowly are lost forever. It’s quite sad, and harrowing to watch. But it’s also one of the most well directed, and realistic films I’ve watched in a while. It’s one of those movies that really makes you realize how terrifying the ocean really is, and NOTHING is as terrifying as the film’s final scene, Susan simply realizing the sharks are surrounding her, as she purposefully drowns herself before the sharks can get her. It’s a fantastic ending, that had me in shock. This film put me through an adventure that no carbon copy of Jaws, or thriller like The Shallows ever could, which is why I found it so effective.
Final Verdict: 8/10